World Championship squad misses out on athletes Stephen Nedoroscik and Fred Richard, former Olympians
Stephen Nedoroscik, the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist on the pommel horse, and Fred Richard, an Olympic team bronze medalist and 2024 NCAA all-around champion, have been left off the USA Gymnastics team for the 2025 World Championships.
Nedoroscik, who competed only on the pommel horse at the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, finished fifth on his signature event. His performance was far from his best, and he failed to meet the qualification standard needed for automatic selection.
Richard, on the other hand, struggled through his first day and posted a relatively low score for a contender. This effectively ended his bid for a top team spot.
The 2025 Worlds team, which does not have a team event but only individual all-around and apparatus competitions, requires gymnasts to either automatically qualify by winning an apparatus with requisite difficulty or be selected by a committee if fewer than six qualify. Since Nedoroscik and Richard did not meet the automatic criteria and likely did not stand out enough for committee selection, they were not named to the team.
Despite his struggles, Nedoroscik expressed his excitement to cheer on Team USA in Jakarta, Indonesia, even though he would not be competing. Richard was named to the U.S. National team, making him eligible for international assignments.
On the second night of the competition, Richard looked sharper but finished second, behind Asher Hong. Hong's win over Richard was the largest by any gymnast - male or female - in USA Gymnastics history.
In a surprising turn of events, Hong clinched an automatic bid to compete at the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, while Richard was not part of the team.
The 2025 World Championships team, as announced by USA Gymnastics, includes Asher Hong, Brody Malone, Donnell Whittenburg, Kameron Nelson, Brandon Dang, and Patty Hoopes.
Meanwhile, Simone Biles, a former Olympic gymnast, kept the door open for a potential comeback for the 2028 Olympics.
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Sports have once again proven to be a competitive field, as theSelection process for the 2025 World Championships saw the exclusion of notable gymnasts Stephen Nedoroscik and Fred Richard. [1]
Despite their impressive past achievements, neither Nedoroscik nor Richard could secure a spot on the USA Gymnastics team for the upcoming tournament. The results of the 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships showed that both athletes fell short of the qualification standards. [2]
